Patio Cooler

ABSTRACT

A patio cooler includes a cooler basin defining a liner receptacle. A flexible liner is disposed in the liner receptacle and defines a cooler receptacle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

A patio cooler is provided that includes a cooler basin that defines a liner receptacle. A flexible liner is disposed in the liner receptacle and defines a cooler receptacle. A slidable lid is slidably coupled with the cooler basin and is configured to be slidable between an opened and a closed position to facilitate selective covering of the cooler receptacle.

BACKGROUND

Conventional patio coolers can include a pair of pivotal lids that selectively overlie a cooler tub. When the lids are closed, they can effectively serve as a table top for storing items thereon, such as food or decorations. However, when the lids are opened, these items must be removed in order to gain access to the cooler tub, which can be cumbersome and time consuming.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is believed that certain embodiments will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an upper isometric view depicting a patio cooler having a pivotable lid and a slidable lid each shown in respective closed positions;

FIG. 2 is an upper isometric view depicting the patio cooler of FIG. 1, but with the pivotable lid and the slidable lid each shown in respective opened positions;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the patio cooler of FIG. 1 further depicting a liner and a subframe associated with the pivotable lid and the sliding lid;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of the subframe, the pivotable lid, and the sliding lid of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an assembled lower plan view of the subframe, the pivotable lid, and the sliding lid of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is section view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an upper isomeric view of the liner of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a lower isometric view of the liner of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In connection with the views and examples of FIGS. 1-8, wherein like numbers indicate the same or corresponding elements throughout the views, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a patio cooler 10 that comprises a base 12, a pivotable lid 14, and a slidable lid 16. The base 12 can include a cooler basin 18 and a plurality of legs 20 that extend from the cooler basin 18 and facilitate support of the cooler basin 18 with respect to a ground surface. A plurality of wheels 22 (FIG. 2) can be coupled with the legs 20 to facilitate selective rolling of the patio cooler 10 along the ground surface. In one embodiment, one or more of the wheels 22 can be selectively lockable to prevent the patio cooler 10 from being rolled. A pair of handles 24 can be provided on opposite sides of the patio cooler 10 for grasping by a user when rolling the patio cooler 10. A lower shelf 26 can be provided beneath the cooler basin 18 and coupled with each of the legs 20. The lower shelf 26 can be spaced from the cooler basin 18 to provide a storage area beneath the cooler basin 18.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a liner 28 can be disposed in the cooler basin 18 and can define a cooler receptacle 30 for storing items that that are to be thermally insulated from a surrounding environment. A subframe 32 can be coupled with the cooler basin 18 and can overlie the liner 28. The pivotable lid 14 can be pivotably coupled with the subframe 32 and pivotable with respect to the cooler basin 18 between a closed position (FIG. 1) and an opened position (FIG. 2). The slidable lid 16 can be slidably coupled with the subframe 32 and slidable with respect to the cooler basin 18 along a centerline C1 between a closed position and an opened position. When the pivotable lid 14 and the slidable lid 16 are in the closed position, they can overlie the liner 28 and the cooler receptacle 30 to facilitate retention and thermal insulation of the contents stored therein. When the pivotable lid 14 and/or the slidable lid 16 are in the opened position, the cooler receptacle 30 can be accessed by a user to introduce or remove items to/from the cooler receptacle 30. The slidable lid 16 can be maintained in a horizontal position when moved between the opened position and the closed position. As such, a user can selectively gain access to the cooler receptacle 30 via the slidable lid 16 without requiring that any contents stored thereon be disturbed. The slidable lid 16 can accordingly be a more effective and user-friendly option for accessing the cooler receptacle 30 than conventional patio coolers with pivotable lid arrangements (e.g., pivotable lid 14).

Referring now to FIG. 3, the cooler basin 18 can include a floor 34 and a plurality of walls 36 that extend from the floor 34 and cooperate with the floor 34 to define a liner receptacle 38. In one embodiment, the floor 34 can comprise a plurality of slats 39 that define a plurality of spaces 40 therebetween. The liner 28 can be disposed in the liner receptacle 38 and can provide an insulating and water impervious barrier for retaining items within the liner receptacle 38, as will be described below.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the slidable lid 16 can include a cover panel 44 and a substructure 46. In one embodiment, the base 12, the pivotable lid 14, and the cover panel 44 can be formed of wood (e.g., teakwood, meranti, acacia, or cedar), a composite wood material (e.g., a thermoplastic and wood composite), metal, thermoplastic, or any combination thereof. The substructure 46 can include a central portion 48 that is substantially planar and a pair of flanges 50 that extend from the central portion 48 (e.g., substantially perpendicularly) along opposite sides of the central portion 48. In one embodiment, the substructure 46 can be formed of metal (e.g., aluminum) and the central portion 48 can define a plurality of apertures 52 that reduce the overall weight of the substructure 46 without adversely affecting the structural integrity of the substructure 46. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the cover panel 44 can define an interior receptacle 54 and the substructure 46 can be disposed within the interior receptacle 54. The substructure 46 can be secured to the cover panel 44 by a plurality of fasteners 56.

Still referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the patio cooler 10 can include a pair of slide assemblies 58 that facilitate sliding of the slidable lid 16 between the closed and opened positions. Each of the slide assemblies 58 can include an inner slide member 60 and an outer slide member 62 that are slidably coupled together. Each of the inner slide members 60 can be disposed on opposite sides of the subframe 32 and coupled thereto with fasteners 64, such as threaded fasteners. Each of the outer slide members 62 can be coupled to opposing ones of the flanges 50 of the substructure 46. In one embodiment, the outer slide members 62 can be coupled to the flanges 50 with rivets 66. The substructure 46 can be formed of a relatively thin rigid material, such as metal (e.g., steel or aluminum), a thermoplastic material, or a carbon fiber material. By attaching (e.g., riveting) the outer slide members 62 to the flanges 50 of the substructure 46, the outer slide members 62 can be indirectly attached to the cover panel 44 via the substructure 46. When the slidable lid 16 is slid between the closed position and the opened position, the substructure 46, and more particularly the flanges 50, can flex slightly relative to the cover panel 44 to inhibit binding between the inner slide members 60 and the outer slide members 62 that might prevent smooth sliding therebetween. As such, the tolerances between the inner slide members 60 and the outer slide members 62 do not need to be as precise as conventional slide assemblies which can allow the slide assemblies 58 to be manufactured and assembled more efficiently and cost effectively. In one embodiment, the inner slide members 60 can be formed of aluminum (e.g., anodized aluminum) and the outer slide members 62 can be formed of a thermoplastic (e.g., Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene).

Referring now to FIG. 6, one of the slide assemblies 58 will now be discussed but can be understood to be representative of the other of the slide assemblies 58. The inner slide member 60 can comprise a base portion 68 and a pair of outer rail portions 70 that extend from the base portion 68 and are spaced from each other. The inner slide member 60 also includes a pair of rib portions 72 that extend from the base portion 68 and are interposed between the outer rail portions 70. Each of the outer rail portions 70 have a height H1 and each of the rib portions 72 can have a height H2. Each of the heights H1, H2 can be measured in a direction that is orthogonal to the centerline C1 (FIG. 2). Each of the rib portions 72 can be shorter than the outer rail portions 70 such that the height H2 of the rib portions 72 is less than the height H1 of the outer rail portions 70 by a ratio of about 1:3.

The outer slide member 62 can comprise a base portion 74 and a head portion 76 that extends from the base portion 74. The base portion 74 can have a width W1 and the head portion 76 can have a width W2. Each of the widths W1, W2 can be measured in a direction that is orthogonal to the centerline C1 (FIG. 2). The head portion 76 can be narrower than the base portion 74 such that the head portion 76 is narrower than the base portion 74. In one embodiment, the ratio of the width W1 to the width W2 can be about 5:4. When the inner slide member 60 and the outer slide member 62 are engaged together, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the head portion 76 of the inner slide member 60 can be disposed between the outer rail portions 70. The outer rail portions 70 can interface with the head portion 76 and slide along the head portion 76 to facilitate slidable coupling between the inner and outer slide members 60, 62. The rib portions 72 can extend toward the head portion 76 and can selectively contact the head portion 76 during sliding of the inner slide member 60. The difference between the height H1 of the outer rail portions 70 and the height H2 of the rib portions 72 can be less than the height of the head portion 76. As such, the rib portions 72 can prevent the outer rail portions 70 from contacting the base portion 74 of the outer slide member 62.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the liner 28 can include a floor 78 and a plurality of walls 80 that extend from the floor 78 and cooperate with each other and the floor 78 to define the cooler receptacle 30. A plurality of tab portions 82 can extend from the walls 80 and away from the cooler receptacle 30. When the liner 28 is installed in the liner receptacle 38 (see FIG. 2), the tab portions 82 can overlie the walls 36 of the cooler basin 18 and can be secured thereto with fasteners (not shown) that facilitate retention of the liner 28 to the cooler basin 18. The floor 78 can define a drain port 84 that is configured to allow fluid to be drained from the cooler receptacle 30. The drain port 84 can be selectively covered by a cap 86 (FIG. 8) that can be removed from the drain port 84 to facilitate draining of excess fluid (e.g., melted ice) from the cooler receptacle 30. When the liner 28 is installed in the liner receptacle 38 (see FIG. 2), the drain port 84 can extend into one of the spaces 40 between the slats 39 to allow the fluid to flow away from the liner receptacle 38 and onto the ground below.

The liner 28 can be formed of a thermally insulating material and configured to be water impervious such that any contents provided in the cooler receptacle 30 are thermally insulated from the outside environment, and any liquid introduced into the cooler receptacle 30 (e.g., melted ice) is stored in the cooler receptacle until it is drained out of the drain port 84 (e.g., by removing the cap 86). The liner 38 can be a flexible (e.g., soft-sided) liner that is selectively collapsible into a substantially flat shape by folding the walls 80 inwardly towards the floor 78 (in the direction of the arrows A1 shown in FIG. 7). In one embodiment, the liner 28 can be formed of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. In such an embodiment, the floor 78 can be joined to the walls 80 along a seam 88, and each of the walls 80 can be joined together with each other along a seam 90. The TPU material can be filled with insulating material between the seams 88, 90 and the seams 88, 90 can be thermally bonded together (e.g., thermally bonded seams) to provide a thermally insulating, water impervious liner that is easily collapsible into a substantially flat shape.

The liner 28 can be collapsed to save space and cost during shipping of the patio cooler 10. For example, to facilitate cost effective shipping, the patio cooler 10 can be broken down into smaller components (e.g., disassembled) in order to reduce the overall shipping size of the package. The liner 30 can be collapsed to fit easily within the package without adding significant bulk or weight to the package. When the patio cooler 30 is subsequently being assembled (e.g., by a consumer), the liner 30 can be easily unfolded into the arrangement shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The liner 28 can accordingly be shipped more easily and effectively but yet can perform at least as well as a conventional rigid liner.

The foregoing description of embodiments and examples of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the forms described. Numerous modifications are possible in light of the above teachings. Some of those modifications have been discussed and others will be understood by those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the disclosure and various embodiments as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the disclosure is, of course, not limited to the examples or embodiments set forth herein, but can be employed in any number of applications and equivalent devices by those of ordinary skill in the art. Rather it is hereby intended the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto. Also, for any methods claimed and/or described, regardless of whether the method is described in conjunction with a flow diagram, it should be understood that unless otherwise specified or required by context, any explicit or implicit ordering of steps performed in the execution of a method does not imply that those steps must be performed in the order presented and may be performed in a different order or in parallel. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A patio cooler comprising: a cooler basin defining a liner receptacle; a subframe coupled with the cooler basin and surrounding the liner receptacle; a lid comprising: a cover panel that defines an interior receptacle; and a substructure disposed within interior receptacle and coupled to the cover panel; and a slide assembly comprising: an inner slide member coupled to the subframe; and an outer slide member coupled to the substructure, wherein the outer slide member and the inner slide member are slidably coupled together to facilitate sliding of the lid with respect to the cooler basin along a centerline between an opened position and a closed position.
 2. The patio cooler of claim 1 wherein: the inner slide member is formed of aluminum; and the outer slide member is formed of a thermoplastic.
 3. The patio cooler of claim 2 wherein: the inner slide member is formed of anodized aluminum; and the outer slide member is formed of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene.
 4. The patio cooler of claim 1 wherein: the substructure is attached to the cover panel with a plurality of first fasteners; and the outer slide member is attached to the substructure with a plurality of second fasteners that do not extend into the cover panel.
 5. The patio cooler of claim 1 wherein: the outer slide member comprises a base portion and a head portion that extends from the base portion; the base portion has a first width; and the head portion has a second width that is less than the first width.
 6. The patio cooler of claim 5 wherein a ratio of the first width to the second width is about 5:4.
 7. The patio cooler of claim 5 wherein: the inner slide member comprises a base portion and a pair of outer rail portions that extend from the base portion and are spaced from each other; each outer rail portion has a first height; at least one rib portion that extends from the base portion and is interposed between the outer rail portions; and the at least one rib portion has a second height that is shorter than the first height.
 8. The patio cooler of claim 7 wherein the head portion is disposed between the outer rail portions and the outer rail portions are slidably coupled with the head portion.
 9. The patio cooler of claim 1 further comprising a flexible liner that is at least partially disposed in the liner receptacle and is formed of a thermally insulating material.
 10. The patio cooler of claim 9 wherein: the flexible liner comprises a floor and a plurality of walls that extend from the floor and cooperate with each other and the floor to define a cooler receptacle; the flexible liner comprises a plurality of tab portions; each tab portion of the plurality of tab portions extends from respective ones of the walls; and each of the tab portions extend over one of the walls and are releasably coupled thereto.
 11. The patio cooler of claim 10 wherein the floor defines a drain port.
 12. The patio cooler of claim 10 wherein: each wall is coupled with adjacent ones of the walls and the floor along a plurality of seams; and each seam of the plurality of seams comprises a thermally bonded seam.
 13. A patio cooler comprising: a cooler basin comprising: a first floor; and a plurality of first walls that extend from the first floor and cooperate with the first floor to define a liner receptacle; and a flexible liner formed of a thermally insulating material and selectively installable in the liner receptacle, the flexible liner comprising: a second floor; a plurality of second walls that extend from the second floor and cooperate with each other and the second floor to define a cooler receptacle; and a plurality of tab portions, each tab portion of the plurality of tab portions extending from respective ones of the second walls, wherein: the flexible liner is selectively collapsible into a substantially flat shape by folding the walls inwardly towards the floor; and when the flexible liner is installed in the liner receptacle, each of the tab portions extends over one of the walls and is releasably coupled thereto.
 14. The patio cooler of claim 13 wherein: the first floor comprises a plurality of slats that define a plurality of spaces therebetween; the second floor defines a drain port; and when the flexible liner is installed in the liner receptacle, the drain port extends into one of the spaces between the slats.
 15. The patio cooler of claim 14 wherein the flexible liner is formed of a thermoplastic polyurethane material.
 16. The patio cooler of claim 15 wherein: each second wall is coupled with adjacent ones of the second walls and the second floor along a plurality of seams; and each seam of the plurality of seams comprises a thermally bonded seam.
 17. A flexible liner for a patio cooler, the flexible liner formed of a thermally insulating material and consisting of: a floor; a plurality of walls that extend from the floor and cooperate with each other and the floor to define a cooler receptacle; and a plurality of tab portions, each tab portion of the plurality of tab portions extending from respective ones of the walls, wherein the flexible liner is selectively collapsible into a substantially flat shape by folding each wall of the plurality of walls inwardly towards the floor.
 18. The flexible liner of claim 17 wherein the floor defines a drain port.
 19. The flexible liner of claim 18 wherein the flexible liner is formed of a thermoplastic polyurethane material.
 20. The flexible liner of claim 19 wherein: each wall is coupled with adjacent ones of the walls and the floor along a plurality of seams; and each seam of the plurality of seams comprises a thermally bonded seam. 